Alleged vendetta: FUOYE staff union leaders open can of worms on Ex-Registrar

From Olanike Olawole-Orebe, Ado-Ekiti

Staff members of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), on Friday opened can of worms of the various offences the Ex-Registrar of the institution, Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya, has committed which led to the recent termination of his appointment by the Governing Council.

The staff members in a release on Friday co-signed by their leaders, who represented such unions as the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), were reacting to allegations of personal vendetta made by the sacked Registrar against the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina as being cause of his sack.

Odusanya has also told the world that he was being punished for an offence he didn’t commit as he was only acting based on alleged directives from his former boss, Prof. Kayode Soremekun.

But in a press release entitled ranting of a drowning man, and signed by the union leaders who are Comr. Ojumoola Ayodele, Comr. (Engr.) Abioye James, Comr. Adu Olaoluwa, NASU Chairman, (NAAT), Chairman, (SSANU) Vice Chairman, Comr. Ayeni Abraham, Comr. Babafemi Comr. Faleye Benjamin, (NASU) Secretary, NAAT, Secretary, (SSANU), Secretary, the staff members said Odusanya acted unilaterally based on records available to them.

The statement reads in part: “We welcome you to this press briefing to intimate you and the general public of the current issues in our University, most especially, as a response to the recent interview granted by one Mr. Odusanya Sunday Emmanuel Olatunbosun, the erstwhile Registrar of FUOYE.
Members of the public would recall that FUOYE in the last five years, has been on the negative side of the media, owing to the high level of impunity, victimization and intimidation of Staff, abuse of power, managerial and administrative incompetency, flagrant disregards for due process, financial recklessness, unabated corrupt practices, employment/admission racketeering and irregularities as well as breakdown of industrial confidence as a result managerial nihilism and non-compliance with the rule of law on the part of the managers of the University.

“Meanwhile, for all these malaise, we have cried out but to no avail!
It is disheartening that the architect of the above systemic failure (Mr. Odusanya Olatubosun) who is solely responsible for his current predicament is now going to the media to mislead and seek public sympathy, blaming his termination of appointment on the current Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, Prof. Abayomi Fasina who just assumed office on 11th February, 2021.
To set the record straight, Mr. Odusanya Olatubosun himself happens to be a product of illegality into the University system and then he kept on the pace of the illegality until recently when he was caught by the long hand of the extant law governing the activities of the University. Just as the popular saying, “every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner”.
According to th union leaders, the offences of Mr. Odusanya included the following: “Mr. Odusanya was involved in recruitment irregularities between 1st August, 2020 and 10th February, 2021. He was queried by the University Governing Council and was given a right of reply. His reply was not tenable enough for him to be exonerated from the allegations of misconducts. He was suspended to pave way for a thorough and unhindered investigation. A disciplinary Committee was set up to look into the case, he appeared before the Committee and he was found culpable; and because, the era of impunity is gone in FUOYE, he was punished accordingly for the offense which he has confessed to have committed during his appearances before both Review of Appointments Committee as well as Staff Disciplinary Committee.

“The public should note the following:

1. Mr. Odusanya singlehandedly initiated and concluded most of the illegal appointments, including Professors and Senior Administrative Officers;
2. Most of the people he recruited did not submit application letters;
3. Interviews were not conducted;
4. The Governing Council of the University was not aware of the illegal recruitments;
5. No budgetary provisions for the recruitments;
6. Most of the appointment letters were issued in a Hotel Room in Ado Ekiti as Mr. Odusanya ordered the Personnel Affairs Office of the University to be relocated to the Hotel in order to perpetrate the illegality at the expense of the University;
7. No advertisement for the recruitments as required by statutes;
8. Advice from Regulating Agencies like National University Commission (NUC), Federal Character Commission (FCC), office of Head of Service of the Federation, Ministry of Budget and National Planning on recruitment procedures was not followed.
9. Head of Departments/Units and Deans were not consulted for any of the recruitments as stated in FUOYE Scheme of Service.
   Mr. Odusanya who has been the Lord of the Manor in FUOYE was responsible for the illegal sacking, suspension, victimization and intimidation of many innocent staff especially, those that aired their opinions against his greed, incompetency and corrupt tendencies in the University in the last five years. He should be honorable enough to see his termination of appointment as a soft landing by the Governing Council as against outright dismissal which was what he deserved and stop looking for who to blame for his ordeal.
   Gentlemen of the press, you will recall that some of your members under the auspices of Ekiti State Correspondence Chapel were attacked in FUOYE while on official coverage of JAC of NASU and SSANU Union activities by thugs sponsored by this same Odusanya Olatubosun in January 2020. Alas, you also have shared from the bitter experience of this self-acclaimed untouchable man!
   It is worth noting that since the exit of Odusanya as the Registrar of FUOYE, peace has returned to the University. The incessant threats to the lives of Union leaders have stopped. Dignity of Labour had since been restored and there is now harmonious relationship between the University based Unions and the University Management. Indeed, Odusanya’s exit is an immensely and immeasurable blessing to the University Community.
   For the umpteenth time, we want to use this opportunity to send a note of warning to Mr. Odusanya and his co-travellers who by now, in a sane society, should be in the net of Anti-Graft Agencies to desist from further media attack on the University, the Governing Council or the Vice-Chancellor, otherwise, the leadership of the three Non-Teaching Unions would not hesitate to expose his more dirty deeds in FUOYE to the whole world.
   By and by, if Mr. Odusanya Sunday is not guilty of the allegations of gross misconduct level against him, why has he been disgracefully junketing from one King to another Emir, from one Pastor to Imam and from Politicians to Businessmen sending emissaries to the constituted authorities in the University. He should have travelled a path of honor and approach a court of competent jurisdiction to seek redress if he feel that his right has been trampled upon.
   We hereby urge the general public to ignore the unnecessary comments of Mr. Odusanya Olatubosun in the media as they are baseless and holds no water.
   Finally, we want to use this opportunity to pass a Vote of Implicit Confidence on FUOYE Governing Council under the able leadership of Dr. Muhamad Yahuza and the University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina for the restoration of Good Governance, Dignity of Labour and Prioritization of Staff Welfare in the University.”